Philippians 1:28
By Drew Zuverink
"Without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved - and that by God."
A while back I was listening to a secular podcast where two people were having a conversation, and the topic of religion came up. Neither of the two people were religious themselves, but one of them made a comment that has stuck with me ever since. Joe Rogan, who's podcast is number one in the world, said that the confidence that some Christian's have makes him jealous. I don't remember what I was doing when I heard this, but I remember stopping whatever it was and thinking, "I thought my Christian confidence would turn people off - not draw them in."
All too often, probably because we live in a culture where claiming to know the truth is thought of as being closed minded and harmfully exclusive, Christians feel like they need to be timid about their faith. However, the podcaster's comments ought to remind us that it isn't helpful to be shy about what we believe. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:7 that the spirit that God gives to his children, does not make them timid, but it gives them power to share their testimony with confidence.
In a world where so many people are unsure of things, confident people are attractive. There is just something about someone who appears confident that draws others in. For example; I am deathly afraid of heights. Because of this fear, you might wonder if I enjoy traveling via airplane. Although my stomach does drop a little bit each time that I'm on a plane and there is a little bit of turbulence, I'm not all that afraid of flying. The main reason that I don't mind flying is because the pilots don't seem afraid. Their confidence draws me in and makes me feel safe even when the flight gets a little bit bumpy. So if the pilot's don't panic, neither will I. However, I can assure you, if I got the sense that the pilots were a little unsure about our airplane being able to stay in the air, I'd start to panic.
The point is that it's easier to trust someone who appears confident than it is to trust someone who appears to be unsure. Of course some people will be offended if we talk as if we have the one true worldview, but that is to be expected. Jesus, and almost all of his twelve disciples, were martyred, and one of the primary reasons that they were killed is because they spoke as if they knew the truth. Neither Jesus, nor his disciples, said that it was possible that they might be wrong - they just shared the truth. That confidence rubbed some people the wrong way, did we really expect our culture to be more receptive to the same claims? If not, then why do we feel like we need to be more timid than they were? Why would it mean that we need to tone it down, to stop speaking with such surety, just because some people find our confidence arrogant? The confidence of Jesus' disciples offended some people, but it also transformed the world forever. There is no shame in being confident of the truth that we know.
Paul said that if the Christian's in Philippi would remain steadfast in their faith, unafraid of those who were opposing them, then it would become clear to their opponents that they were doomed. Friends, confident Christian's are a sign to the world that the Christian worldview is indeed true. There is a God, he has revealed himself in the holy scriptures, and you had better make sure that you are right with him before it's too late. We ought not to feel ashamed for acting confident of this. If our confidence offends people, that is on them. We are tasked with sharing the truth, not with pretending as if it only might be true.
So be a confident Christian. Speak as if you believe God's word. Don't feel as if you need to be timid. This will be a sign to the world, it will attract some and it will offend others. That has been the case for thousands of years now. Hiding our confidence will not do any good. Christianity is true - go ahead and act like it.
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